Department for Transport

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Tachographs

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 1 December (HL3746), how many manufacturers expect to have smart 2 tachographs (1) in production, and (2) available, for support to relevant vehicle owners; and by what date they expect to have this before 21 August 2023.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There are three manufacturers with European bases, which supply the UK and EU markets with the existing smart 1 tachographs. Two (Continental and Stoneridge) have shown interest in producing the new smart 2 tachographs, in the context of the implementation date of 21 August 2023. I am aware of industry concerns that there could be a shortage of supply of smart 2 tachographs which will make the implementation date of 21 August 2023 challenging. My Department will continue to monitor the situation.

Leader of the House of Lords

Oral Questions: House of Lords

Lord Palmer: To ask the Leader of the House what steps he is takingto encourage members to keep supplementary questions short and succinct.

Lord True: I agree with the noble Lord that members should aim to keep their contributions concise and, in accordance with the Companion, confined to no more than two points. This enables as many peers from across the House as possible the opportunity to scrutinise the Government.It is the responsibility of the whole House to work collectively on this issue and I am sure the usual channels will make every effort to ensure their members keep to this standard of practice. In June 2022 the usual channels wrote collectively to all members to remind them of these rules and the courtesies of the House more generally.I will also remind colleagues of the importance of ministers providing succinct answers to questions, in accordance with the practice of the House, to enable the House to operate in the most effective manner including the recommendation that initial answers should be no more than 75 words.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Armed Conflict

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, following an escalation in military activity in the past month; and what assessment they have made of the likelihood of a ceasefire.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The escalation in fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is having grave humanitarian consequences, has been raised with both the President of DRC and the Foreign Minister of Rwanda; I [the Minister for Africa] also recently spoke to the Rwandan Foreign Minister. We welcome agreement on a ceasefire as agreed at the Luanda summit in Angola on 23 November. It is vital that all parties implement it to secure a real de-escalation on the ground in Eastern DRC. We urge all sides to do everything they can to ensure armed groups respect the terms of the ceasefire and engage with the regional political processes, in order for an enduring political solution to be found.

Africa: Development Aid

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Minister of State for Development and Africa on 14 November that he was "pleased to confirm new UK Government funding to the Global Family Partnership FP2030", whether they will provide a breakdown of that funding.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK plays a leading role in advancing voluntary family planning globally, as part of our longstanding commitment to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights. New UK funding to the Global Family Planning Partnership 'FP2030' will accelerate country leadership in regions including North, West, and Central Africa; East and Southern Africa; Asia and the Pacific; and Latin America and the Caribbean.We are not able to give a yearly funding breakdown until ODA funding allocations are confirmed over the Spending Review period.

Sudan: Sexual Offences

Baroness Goudie: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have hadat the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative regarding sexual violence in (1) Sudan, and (2) South Sudan.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government are working in both Sudan and South Sudan to address Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). The Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) International Conference was an important opportunity to raise awareness and work together on these issues. The Government of South Sudan was represented at the conference, endorsed the CRSV Political Declaration and made a national commitment to prevent CRSV in South Sudan. South Sudan's Defence Minister and several civil society actors participated in panels on CRSV prevention, reparations and peacebuilding. The Prime Minister's Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict met the South Sudanese Ministerial delegation to press for urgent action to address CRSV in South Sudan.

Development Aid

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 11 November (HL3016), how much Official Development Assistance (ODA) support they provided to the Global Financing Facility in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, and (4) 2021; and how much ODA was specifically for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) to bilateral priority countries in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, and (c) 2021.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government has committed a total of £95 million of Official Development Assistance to the Global Financing Facility from 2017 to 2025 in two phases. The payments made to date are 1) £18 million in 2018, 2) £8 million in 2019, 3) £3 million in 2020 and 4) £6 million in 2021.Overall the UK spent the following amount of bilateral Official Development Assistance on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights over the last three years. 1) £515 million in 2019, 2) £372 million in 2020 and 3) £242 million in 2021. This data is calculated using the methodology outlined in the Donor Delivering Report and the Statistics on International Development: Final UK Aid Spend 2021.

Malaysia: Foreign Relations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister has yet spoken tothe new Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim;and if so, what steps they discussed to strengthen bilateral relations.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Prime Minister has not yet spoken to new Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but has written to congratulate him on his appointment. We look forward to working with the new Malaysian Government to ensure the UK-Malaysia relationship continues to flourish. The UK and Malaysia have a long history of close friendship, bilateral trade and investment, defence and security cooperation, and strong people-to-people links.

Lebanon: Food Aid

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the United Nations World Food Programme on 21 October that it has "continued to scale up its assistance in Lebanon", when they last discussed with international partners action to alleviate the food emergency in Lebanon, given that "more than half of theLebanese population now in need of assistance to cover their food and other basic needs".

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Lebanon is experiencing a severe economic and humanitarian crisis. The UK engages closely with the Government of Lebanon, international partners, NGOs and the UN on alleviating the food emergency in Lebanon. Since 2011, the UK has allocated over £850 million in assistance to Lebanon, including through our ongoing partnership with the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In FY22/23, UK support to WFP will target 123,000 individuals per month for three months with cash to meet essential needs such as food, shelter and healthcare. The UK will continue to help the most vulnerable but is clear that Lebanon's leaders must deliver economic reforms as the only way to alleviate the crisis and set the country on a path to long-term economic stability.

Ethiopia: Development Aid

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide (1) medical supplies, and (2) aid, to Ethiopia.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In the last eighteen months the UK has provided nearly £90 million of life-saving aid to communities across Ethiopia affected by crises. This support has provided emergency health supplies for 1 million people. Through the recently announced package of £14 million humanitarian support, funding is expected to reach up to 150,000 people with comprehensive health, water sanitation, hygiene and nutrition services across Ethiopia.

Climate Change: Finance

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the creation of an international funding facility to combat climate change and respond to the loss and damage commitments made at COP27.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: All parties at COP27, including the UK, agreed to establish both new funding arrangements for assisting developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and a fund for responding to loss and damage. Parties also agreed to establish a Transitional Committee on operationalisation of the funding arrangements and the fund.The UK announced at COP27 £5 million of funding for the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage which will bring together and enhance the technical assistance available to developing countries suffering from the worst impacts of climate change.The UK will constructively engage with the Committee, with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and parties and with civil society to help ensure the funding arrangements, fund and the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage deliver effectively for countries particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Department of Health and Social Care

General Practitioners

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure face-to-face GP appointments are more readily available to patients.

Lord Markham: On 22 September 2022, we announced measures to assist people to make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face-to-face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances. In October 2022, 71.3% of appointments were conducted face-to-face, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations, up from 64.3% in October 2021.

Neural Tube Defects: Folic Acid

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with governments of other countries which fortify foods with folic acid in order to reduce the prevalence of neural tube defects.

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have engaged with the EU on the introduction by the UK of policy changes relating to food fortification with folic acid; and if so, what responses they have received.

Lord Markham: The Department has engaged with New Zealand and Australia during the development of folic acid fortification policy. The proposed changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998, including the introduction of mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid, will require notification to the World Trade Organization in respect of Technical Barriers to Trade in advance of any new requirements. When the notification is made, there will be an opportunity for WTO members, including the European Union, to comment on the proposals.

Medical Equipment: Electricity

Lord Wigley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they (1) have taken, or (2) plan to take, to ensure that seriously ill children who depend on electrical equipment for their survival can access a secure supply of affordable electricity this winter.

Lord Markham: The Government’s cost of living support contains specific measures aimed at the most vulnerable, including households with critically ill-children requiring electricity dependent medical equipment at home, with £15 billion made available to those with the greatest need. Specific National Health Service specialised services also grant financial rebates to offset energy costs, including home oxygen concentrators and adult home dialysis. NHS England is working with regional teams and integrated care systems as the commissioners of services to identify funding to address increases in the costs associated with operating medical equipment in the home. Local authorities can also provide support.

Nutrition

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the main nutrient deficiencies within the UK population; and whether they have carried out any analysis of any gender difference in that data.

Lord Markham: The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) provides information on dietary intakes and nutritional status for males and females by age group. The latest data from the NDNS 2016 to 2019 shows that dietary intakes of most vitamins are adequate, however there is evidence of low dietary intakes of vitamin D and of some minerals including magnesium, potassium, iodine and selenium. Assessment of nutritional status in the NDNS shows low blood levels for vitamin D and folate across age and sex groups. Low dietary intakes and blood levels of iron are also seen in women and girls.

Abortion: Neural Tube Defects

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any trends in the last five years regarding the number of pregnancies terminated due to neural tube defects.

Lord Markham: This information is not collected in the format requested. Information on neural tube defects is collected by the number of mentions, rather than number of pregnancies terminated. It is possible for a pregnancy to have multiple neural tube defects. From 2017 to 2021, there were 4,697 mentions of congenital malformations of the nervous system in Ground E abortions for residents of England and Wales. This has remained stable over the last five years, other than a small decline in 2019. Data for 2022 is due to be published in June 2023.

Dengue Fever

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 13 October (HL2369), how many dengue fever infections there were in the UK in (1) 2020, and (2) 2021, based on data held by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in (a) England, (b) Wales, and (c) Northern Ireland, comprised of laboratory reports from theUKHSA’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory at Porton Down.

Lord Markham: The following table shows the number of imported cases of dengue cases reported by the UK Health Security Agency’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory at Porton Down in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2020 and 2021.  20202021England10193Wales11Northern Ireland01

Hearing Impairment: Young People

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government what data they have gathered, if any, which support the view that young people's hearing is placed at risk as a result of unsafe listening habits using headphones.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. However, the World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion young people globally are at risk of hearing loss due to recreational exposure to loud sound, including through headphones.

Dental Health

Lord Kamall: To ask His Majesty's Government which dental charities are working in England to promote better dental hygiene in schools and local communities, including those that donate free toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Lord Markham: The information requested is not held centrally.

Locums

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) doctors, (2) registered nurses, and (3) medical scientists, were employed as locums in each year since 2015; and what was the cost for each of those three groups in each of those years.

Lord Markham: While data on agency staff by headcount is collected, this information has not been centrally validated.The following table shows expenditure on agency staff in the healthcare science, medical and dental and nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff groups in each year from 2017/18 to 2020/21. This data was not collected prior to 2017 and information for 2021/22 has not been centrally validated.Financial yearHealthcare scienceMedical and dentalNursing, midwifery and health visiting2017/18£40,101,511£949,883,470£808,661,6872018/19£35,670,387£937,864,774£843,282,2212019/20£31,906,249£918,617,743£878,521,1442020/21£34,733,978£918,879,984£837,822,620Note: Information based on provider financial return.

Care Workers: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Lord Pendry: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps are they taking (1) to increase the carer workforce, and (2) to reduce staff turnover rates in the sector.

Lord Markham: We are promoting adult social care careers through a national recruitment campaign, which launched on 2 November. We are also providing resources and practical toolkits for care providers to attract, train and retain care staff, including the Workforce Development Fund.We are making available up to £2.8 billion of additional funding for social care in 23-24 and £4.7 billion in 24-25 to support adult social care and discharge - the biggest funding increase in history.

NHS: Coronavirus

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government how many NHS staff to date have died as a result of contracting COVID-19.

Lord Markham: The Office for National Statistics’ data shows that from 9 March 2020 to 31 March 2022, there were 796 registered deaths involving COVID-19 among healthcare workers in England aged 20 to 64 years old, using their last known occupation.  The definition of healthcare workers includes those employed in the National Health Service and healthcare sector workers.

NHS: Strikes

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that patients will continue to receive essential care and services in the event of any industrial action amongst staff in the National Health Service.

Lord Markham: Employers and trade unions should discuss local derogations, which will identify those services exempt from strike action in order to protect patient safety. The Department is working with NHS England which is accountable for operational planning and assurance in the event of any industrial action.Exercise ‘Arctic Willow’, a multi-day exercise for integrated care boards (ICBs) and trusts, is currently taking place. This will test the system to ensure services can respond to multiple, concurrent events. Data from this exercise will be coordinated through ICBs and returned to NHS England. Findings will be complete by mid-December.

Evusheld

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that immunocompromised patients will have to wait no more than nine months from approval to get the prophylactic antibodies Evusheld.

Lord Markham: The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a United Kingdom national expert policy working group, which reflects the epidemiological context and pandemic response and recovery policies. However, we have referred Evusheld to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for evaluation, which is due in April 2023. Following NICE’s review, if a positive recommendation is made, National Health Service commissioners will be obliged to provide treatments within 90 days of publication.

Influenza: Drugs

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned research to understand where rapid diagnostics should be used in care pathways to ensure influenza Neuraminidase Inhibitor (NI) drugs and COVID-19 therapies are prescribed as soon as possible after infection, in order to reduce winter admissions.

Lord Markham: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). While there are no specific studies currently active, the NIHR has supported evaluation of COVID-19 diagnostics and research on rapid diagnostics for a range of infectious diseases. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including rapid diagnostics.

Neural Tube Defects: Health Services

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of lifetime direct medical costs associated with births affected by neural tube defects compared to those unaffected; and why they cited German research in the consultation on Amending the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998, which ran from 1 September to 23 November, rather than UK research.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. The consultation on amending the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 cited research from Germany, as a relevant academic study in the United Kingdom was not available.

Mental Health Services: Children in Care

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure care-experienced children and young people have access to specialist, trauma-informed mental health support if they need it.

Lord Markham: Funding for mental health services will increase by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to allow an additional 345,000 children and young people, including those in care, to access National Health Service-funded specialist mental health support.

Congenital Abnormalities and Folic Acid

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of introducing a (1) Birth Defects Prevention Month, and (2) Folic Acid Awareness Week, similar to those in the United States.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. However, the Government promotes the recommendation to take folic acid supplements to those who could become or are pregnant and other measures to promote good health in the first 1,000 days of life, through the Better Health Start for Life programme and via online National Health Service information.

Pregnancy

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether and how they measure the effectiveness of advice given to women of child-bearing age planning a pregnancy according to their (1) socio-economic background, (2) ethnicity, and (3) regional location.

Lord Markham: There is no specific measure on the effectiveness of advice given to women of child-bearing age planning a pregnancy.

Palliative Care: Children

Lord Balfe: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 22 November (HL3405), what plans they have, if any, to give an indication of (1) a timetable for the commencement of the independent review into the causes of disputes between those with parental responsibility and those responsible for the care or medical treatment of critically ill children, (2) details of the membership of the review, and (3) terms of reference for the review, which is due to report by 1 October 2023.

Lord Markham: We expect the commissioning process to be completed in the coming weeks. While the review will not have a fixed membership, it will engage with a range of interested or affected people and organisations. This will include health professionals and the families of critically ill children, to ensure it develops a balanced evidence base for identifying solutions. The organisation undertaking the review will be asked to publish its terms of reference shortly after it has been commissioned.

Midwives: Apprentices

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government how many midwifery apprentices there are in England.

Lord Markham: At the end of July 2022 there were a total of 87 Midwife apprenticeship starts in England.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the £2.3 billion earmarked for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services has now been invested in those services; and, of that amount, how much has been allocated to local authority Children's Services to support children in care.

Lord Markham: This information is not held in the format requested. However, local commissioners will determine how this funding will be used to meet the health needs of the local population.

Folic Acid

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any evidence of food manufacturers proposing to lower the level of voluntary folic acid fortification of foods.

Lord Markham: Fortification of food with folic acid is voluntary and there is no requirement to notify the Government when it is added or removed from a product. As such, the Government is not aware of any such industry considerations. The rules on fortification under existing legislation requires that where vitamins and minerals are added to food, it must be at a minimum level of 15% of the Nutrient Reference value in Retained Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 or 200 micrograms per 100 grams for folic acid.

Royal Sussex County Hospital: Air Ambulance Services

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government whenthey anticipatethe helipad located on top of the Royal Sussex County Hospital tower block will become operational.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they have taken to ensure the safe landing and dispatch of critical patients from the helipad located on Royal Sussex County Hospital tower block.

Lord Markham: The structure of the helideck has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. It has the capacity to receive all the types of helicopter regularly used by the emergency services and the military in the area to transfer patients. The patient care and transfer model for the helideck has been approved by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust’s clinical experts and by partner organisations, including the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance service. The helideck is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2023.